1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a fully loaded bicycle, and more specifically to bicycles that are used for long-distance biking, mountain biking, cross-country riding, bike touring, and biking as a secondary means of transportation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bike lovers have experienced the pleasures of biking and the exhilaration of achieving goals, while enduring much discomfort, pain, fatigue, and potential health risks. A limited number of prior inventions have been created to resolve the problem of discomfort, pain, fatigue, and safety concerns associated with biking. Most of these inventions, such as a great number of bicycle seats and handlebars, have specifically focused on the problem of discomfort. Unfortunately, these inventions have only partially resolved the problem.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,719,252 discloses a readily attachable and detachable portable tree seat of requisite size and shape for convenient use and support by a hunter. However, the tree seat is limited in scope because it is specifically designed to meet the needs of a hunter versus providing support to bikers in a more universal sense.
Likewise, the bicycle seat in U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,508 is provided with a compression spring to act as a cushion for the bicycle seat. However, a cushion seat does not support the back muscles, relieve the back of strain and fatigue, or provide support for muscle strength and endurance.
Additionally, the bicycle seat in U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,474 is provided with seat attachments comprised of a right support section, a left support section, and an attachment device. The attachment device connects the right support section and the left support section to the bicycle seat post. The right and left support sections form a support platform for the buttocks of the bike rider. The central portion of the support platform has a recess to accommodate the cyclist's genitalia. This invention only provides support to the buttocks and genitalia and does not prevent strain and fatigue to the back muscles.
The bicycle seat brace in U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,348 consists of a brace elevated behind the back of the cyclist to support and secure a sign for commercial advertising purposes. This brace does not provide comfort and support to the cyclist's back muscles. In addition to the various bicycle seat designs of the prior art, it would be desirable for a bicycle seat to include a backrest that is ergonomically designed to support the main structures of the back by positioning the spine at the proper angle for comfort and support of the back muscles. It would also be desirable for the backrest to be adjustable to the position preferred by the individual cyclist.
Various styles of handlebars have also been invented to address discomfort. Again, these inventions only partially resolve the problem. For example, the handlebar in U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,469 includes an adjustable support pad assembly that provides support to the cyclist's body at the forearms or elbow, but does not aid in positioning the body upright. Similarly, the handlebar design disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,209 has electrically heated handgrips for motorcycles, which provides comfort and supports the hands for gripping purposes. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,865 discloses a handlebar system comprising a left-hand and right-hand handlebar, each being substantially L-shaped and adjustable. Each of these handlebar systems only offers support for the hands or arms. Therefore, it would be beneficial to provide handlebars with an ergonomic design that enables the cyclist to get a good grip, maneuver the bicycle easily, and elevate the back upright.
In the field of motor vehicles, such as cars and motorcycles, cruise control was added to address issues associated with fatigue when driving long distances. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,103 discloses a cruise control system for a motor vehicle. When the cruise control is engaged, it informs the driver to decide whether to take control of the vehicle from the cruise control system. U.S. Pat. No. 6,064,937 includes a system that detects and generates signals regarding vehicle speed, power consumption, and cruise control selections. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,295 discloses a cruise control for a motorcycle comprising a throttle device mounted on one end of a motorcycle handlebar. It would be beneficial to provide a cruise control system for a bicycle that allows the cyclist to rest while maintaining speed to travel the desired distance.
The present invention addresses the deficiencies of the prior art.